If you've ever wondered what it's like to run a magazine or how crazy my personal life is, be sure to read the behind-the-scenes peek at the daily trials and tribulations of running True West. Culled straight from my Franklin Daytimer, it contains actual journal entries, laid out raw and uncensored. Some of it is enlightening. Much of it is embarrassing, but all of it is painfully true.
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Tuesday, November 29, 2005

November 29, 2005 Crisp and cold out. Dogs still bugged about the cancelled bike ride in the morning. Felt guilty and went home for lunch yesterday and took them up the road.

Got into the office early today. Worked with Mark Boardman and George Laibe on this week’s Vegas campaign. Lots of logistics to work out. They’re driving up, I’m flying after my speech at the Biltmore on Thursday morning. Carole Glenn is driving me to the airport, muy pronto. She booked my flight with no wiggle room. I’m flying out of terminal four, which is always more stressful. Going to be tight.

Had a staff meeting at 8:30 and went over Town of the Year business and deadline issues. Tomorrow is Gus Walker's last day. Going to miss him and his maps. Followed up with a copy meeting. Decided to change the focus of one of the articles. Got in Paul Hutton’s big cover story on “Why Is This Man Forgotten?” Really strong writing, but, of course it’s way long. Had a quick copy meeting on whether to radically cut Paul’s piece, kill the accompanying art piece, or run the whole epic and damn the torpedoes. Leaning towards the latter. The last time we passed on one of his epics, he took it to Wild West magazine and they won the Spur Award.

I didn't really like that.

Went to lunch with Carole at Tuscan Cafe. Had a ham and cheese sando and hot tea. Carole had the veggie sando and hot tea. We went dutch ($16.42, we each put in $10 cash and left the change). On the way back to the office we got to talking about how many people we know that are messed up on meth. I got a call from one of my old radio partners who told me that a certain radio goddess we both worked with is strung out on meth, lost her radio gig, her children, her husband, not to mention her teeth. What an insidious drug.

We got our new travel postcard back from the printer today. This one was designed by Abby Pearson and is really a beaut. I’ve had it on my desk all day just admiring it. It’s a keeper. And speaking of postcard keepers, Carole was showing me the archives of old postcards (we do new ones each month and must have a couple dozen cards, with maybe 20-75 leftover stock of each) and I thought you know we should offer these as collectables. Many people collect postcards and I thought maybe we could offer these in packets of say, 10. Would you buy 'em?

"I wish people who have trouble communicating would just shut up."—Tom Lehrer

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About Me

Bob Boze Bell's work has appeared in Arizona Highways, Playboy, National Lampoon, the Arizona Republic and True West magazine.
For ten years (2002-20012) he did a video version of True West Moments which ran on the Westerns Channel.
BBB can currently be seen on the series "Gunslingers" which runs on the American Heroes Channel.
Triple B is also the President and executive editor of True West magazine, positions he has held since 1999.
He has written a dozen books on Old West characters like Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Wild Bill Hickok and a three-part series (so far) on Classic Gunfights which appear in True West. These popular, heavily illustrated books have sold over 90,000 copies, so far.
In 2014 he published a visual memoir of growing up on Route 66 called "The 66 Kid," and he is currently working on a bio of Geronimo.
As for retirement, BBB says, "Work is only work if you'd rather be someplace else. And I'm exactly where I want to be."